FBI Warns of Predators Targeting Children with Sextortion Schemes in Louisiana and Arkansas
FBI Warns of Predators Targeting Children with Sextortion Schemes in Louisiana and Arkansas
Louisiana – Sextortion schemes targeting children have recently increased in Louisiana and Arkansas, according to FBI offices. The FBI has received numerous reports of predators impersonating children on social media in order to coerce minors into sending sexual videos of themselves and then extorting money from these underage victims. The FBI Little Rock has noticed an alarming increase in these schemes targeting children in the El Dorado, Magnolia, and Monticello, Arkansas areas. Similar schemes targeting children have been observed by the FBI in Louisiana.
Here’s how the FBI described this disturbing scheme works:
1. A predator (posing as a child on social media) uses deception and manipulation to convince a minor victim, usually 13 to 17 years old, to engage in explicit sexual activity over video chat.
2. The videos or images are secretly recorded and saved by the predator.
3. The predator then reveals they have saved the recordings and attempts to extort money from the juvenile victim by threatening to post the videos on various social media pages.
4. To receive money, the predator may ask for bank account login information or request gift cards.
Sextortion is a serious offense. Coercion of a child by an adult to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM) carries severe penalties, including life imprisonment for offenders. To put an end to the victimization, children usually notify someone—typically a parent, teacher, caregiver, or law enforcement. The embarrassment children feel as a result of the activity they were forced to participate in is usually what prevents them from coming forward. Because sextortion offenders frequently have dozens of victims all over the world, coming forward to assist law enforcement in identifying a predator may prevent countless future incidents of sexual exploitation.
Here are some tips from the FBI to protect children online:
• People can pretend to be anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that a person is who they claim to be.
• Be highly suspicious if someone you meet on a game or app asks you to start communicating with them on a different platform.
• Encourage children to report suspicious behavior to a trusted adult.
If you know someone who may be a victim of sextortion in Arkansas or Louisiana:
2. Do not delete anything before law enforcement is able to review it.
3. Tell police investigators everything about the online encounters. It may be embarrassing, but it is necessary to find and stop the predator.
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